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  • talk-back
    talk-back
    noun
    a communications system enabling those in the studio to hear control-room personnel through a loudspeaker or headphones.
  • talk back
    talk back
    verb
    to answer boldly or impudently
Synonyms

talk-back

American  
[tawk-bak] / ˈtɔkˌbæk /

noun

Radio and Television.
  1. a communications system enabling those in the studio to hear control-room personnel through a loudspeaker or headphones.


talk back British  

verb

  1. to answer boldly or impudently

  2. to conduct a telephone dialogue for immediate transmission over the air

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. television radio a system of telephone links enabling spoken directions to be given during the production of a programme

    1. a broadcast telephone dialogue

    2. ( as modifier )

      a talkback show

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
talk back Idioms  
  1. Also, answer back. Reply rudely or impertinently, as in She was always in trouble for talking back, or The teacher won't allow anyone to answer back to her. [Second half of 1800s]


Etymology

Origin of talk-back

Noun use of verb phrase talk back


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Early in her career, after a performance of Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” — “absolutely an Everyman tragedy story,” Davis said — she and the rest of her cast, all Black, hosted a talk-back.

From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2022

The theater that had hosted the talk-back sent out a new email beginning “I am happy to report that the attendee who came into contact with COVID-19 has tested NEGATIVE. This is wonderful news.”

From Slate ● May 8, 2020

“As soon as the ball dropped, I said to Lance on the talk-back switch, ‘I’m not saying anything for a long time.’

From Golf Digest ● Apr. 22, 2019

Radio hosts had invited audience questions and comments in the past, but there was something novel about the freewheeling nature of the talk-back format, and Mazer’s show quickly caught on.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 17, 2018

During a post-performance talk-back Thursday night, Mai said watching “Thumbprint” was uncomfortable because “it was so real.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2017

Agents can live up to that name and be good organizational assistants, rather than souped-up search engines that can talk back to you.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

You see her at work at night where she lights up when she’s talking to things that can’t talk back, but she feels that they do.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

"He was just so domineering and you just couldn't talk back to him," she added.

From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026

“Yuletide Factory” is pitched toward those younger children, who happily talk back to the players.

From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

I was even more amazed I managed to talk back to him while I scrubbed my belly button and my stomach jiggled like some sort of gelatinous non-humanoid life-form.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

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